MEDIA RELEASE The Hon Catherine King MP Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport

24 November 2010 CK006/2010 Joint

Joint Media Statement

The Hon Catherine King MP Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport

The Hon Jenny Macklin MP

Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Ingidenous Affairs

Jason O'Brien MP State Member for Cook

Ensuring Essential Air Access in Far North Queensland

Essential air service access to Coen on the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland is being ensured with funding from the Australian Government for a vital upgrade of the Coen Aerodrome runway.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport, Catherine King, and the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin, said the Government was providing $800,000 to the $1.5 million project to strengthen the runway.

"The Coen Aerodrome is vital infrastructure for local communities in the Cape York region," Ms King said.

"We are providing $500,000 for the Coen Aerodrome under our Remote Aerodrome Safety Program, which is funding around 150 safety projects around Australia.

"The upgrade will ensure the runway can cope with regular air services that provide access to essential goods and services including the delivery of food, mail, medicine, and passenger transport.

The runway is also used by the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which currently provides 17 Primary Health Care Clinics a month to the Coen community, as well as providing emergency medical services.

"This is especially critical during the wet season when Coen's road access can be completely cut-off for up to five months," she said.

Ms Macklin said a further $300,000 would be delivered as part of COAG's National Partnership Agreement on Remote Service Delivery.

"Coen is one of 29 priority remote service delivery Indigenous communities identified under COAG's National Partnership on Remote Service Delivery.

"In Coen, the National Partnership is delivering schooling and childhood services, health, jobs and safety initiatives, as well as vital local facilities," Ms Macklin said.

The remaining funding for the runway upgrade is provided by the Queensland Government and the Cook Shire Council.

State Member for Cook, Jason O'Brien, said the Queensland Government was contributing $400,000 towards the reconstruction of the runway under the Department of Transport's Regional Airport Development Scheme.

"This upgrade is vital. In the wet season, road access can be cut-off for up to five months and it is critical that the runway is safe enabling aircraft to land all year round," Mr O'Brien said.

"I'm delighted that all three levels of government have recognised the importance of air services for this community and that we're working together to deliver this upgrade."